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<title>Can I Be Close To You? by riddlerhymes</title>
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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25763878">Can I Be Close To You?</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/riddlerhymes/pseuds/riddlerhymes'>riddlerhymes</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Half-Life</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alien/Human Relationships, Fluff, Lazy Mornings, Morning Cuddles, Other, Romantic Fluff</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-08-07</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-08-07</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 05:34:58</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>626</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25763878</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/riddlerhymes/pseuds/riddlerhymes</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>barney and his vortfriend spend a few minutes together in the morning</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Barney Calhoun/Vortigaunt</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>40</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Can I Be Close To You?</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>i am a pioneer to a ship tag on here........ i feel honored....... anyways enjoy this 2:30 am short fic abt barney &amp; his vortfriend &lt;3</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>it wasn't often barney'd wake up like this.</p><p>he couldn't, really. with his cover in civil protection, he couldn't be seen with any of the resistance. couldn't be seen making friendly with them. god <em>knows</em> what'd happen if he was found out.</p><p>but, every now and again, <em>he'd chance it</em>. just to spend the occasional few hours with a certain vortigaunt he'd grown particularly fond of. they'd spent plenty of barney's downtime together, talking about human and vort culture, learning from each other, sometimes having conversations of something deeper... or something nicer. daydreaming, really. talking about what the earth could be like, what life <em>should</em> be like there.</p><p>at some point(<em>when</em>, barney wasn't completely sure), the shared daydreams turned into talk about a life <em>together,</em> after the fall of the combine. after everything's better, and the earth's trying to heal. talk of a nice little living space, wild plants taking over the outside of the place, lots of pillows and blankets piled up on a shared bed, books piled up on the floor next to it... talk of mornings cooking together, evenings spent outside in the grass, stargazing....</p><p>barney could almost pretend they had that <em>now</em>, with the way the beams of sunlight shone through the cracks in the roof and onto the makeshift bedding the two'd curled up on. he couldn't help but stare at how the sun lit up his vortfriend's face, highlighting their patchy inhuman complexion oh-so beautifully.... really, it made him wonder why he'd even hesitated to ask about a relationship in the first place.</p><p>and then, those bright red eyes blinked open, trying to shake the sleep from them. god, the sunlight only made them look all the more enchanting. really made 'em look all ruddy and nice, something barney could really get lost in. </p><p>and he did, according to the long hand waving in front of his face. </p><p>"the calhoun, is, staring." barney could practically here the grin in their voice, almost instinctively leaning over to plant a kiss on the plane between his vortfriend's eye and mouth. </p><p>"just enjoyin' the scenery, darlin'. you look real pretty in the morning, y'know.." he took the alien's raised hand, planting a kiss to the palm to punctuate his compliment. another arm wormed its way under barney's shoulder, pulling him in as the vort rested their chin atop his head.</p><p>"hm.. the <em>scenery</em> is very favorable, from here, as well.." </p><p>"mhm.. wish i could lay around with you longer, ros, but you know i gotta run home 'n get ready." as expected, the response was just a tighter grip around barney and a near-inaudible grumble from the vortigaunt.</p><p>he couldn't help but let out a little chuckle, patting the vort's chest next to where his face was pressed. "i know, i know... i'll swing back by after my shift, rossy, i <em>promise</em>......"</p><p>reluctantly, after a moment or two, his vortfriend loosened their grip, letting barney lean back to smile up at them. something soft, tender, so full of <em>love</em>. one of the many reasons the vort'd been eager to know about how humans' relationships work. one of the reasons they'd wanted one with barney. </p><p>"stay?" they managed after a small stretch of silence, neither making a move to get up. neither wanted to get up, but barney needed to leave soon. they knew that. "not long."</p><p>another little chuckle escaped barney, and he just let himself lean in again, laying his head against the vort's chest, sneaking a quick peck to the hand curled up there. he snaked his arm around his vortfriend's side, with them mirroring the gesture to hold him there.</p><p>"awh, well, i guess i could stay a <em>few</em> more minutes.... "</p><p><em>god,</em> he wished he could stay there <em>forever.</em></p>
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